So, what's everyone been watching this week? Hmmmm? What exactly is trending on all your streaming services?
To get a sense of the most popular movies and TV shows people are watching at home, we've streaming aggregator Reelgood, which gathers viewer numbers from hundreds of streaming services in the U.S. and UK. Each week, the most streamed watches come down to a few elements — sheer buzz, a big finale, smart marketing, star power, critical acclaim, or word-of-mouth that leads people to finally watch it out of spite.
But just because a lot of people are watching something doesn't make it...good. Here they are, the 10 most streamed TV shows and movies of the week, where to watch them, and what Mashable critics thought.
1. The Diplomat
Diplomacy, ahoy! Credit: Alex Bailey/NetflixNetflix's smart political drama, The Diplomat, helmed by showrunner Debora Cahn (The West Wing, Grey's Anatomy, Homeland), has hit the top spot this week. Keri Russell stars as diplomat Kate Wyler, deployed to London as U.S. Ambassador to the UK instead of her preference, Kabul, Afghanistan. She's joined by her fellow diplomat and political renegade husband, Hal (Rufus Sewell), despite how much of a sexy, sexy trainwreck their marriage is.
When a British military aircraft carrier is bombed, and the geopolitical blame game starts, Kate will need to use those pure gold negotiation skills of hers before, y'know, war breaks out. Luckily, she's got a dream team to back her up, with the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy, Stuart Heyford (Ato Essandoh), and the chief of the CIA station in London, Eidra Park (Ali Ahn).
How to watch: The Diplomat is now streaming on Netflix.
2. Beef
Credit: NetflixA chance encounter between two strangers leads to a feud — and a quest for revenge. This is the premise of Beef, Netflix and A24's series that sees Amy Lau (Ali Wong) and Danny Cho (Steven Yeun) become entirely consumed after a road rage incident. The former is a disillusioned entrepreneur and the latter, a failing contractor, and their mutual obsession with revenge starts to affect their respective relationships and everyday lives.
Created by Lee Sung Jin, the 10-part dark comedy also stars Joseph Lee, Young Mazino, David Choe, Patti Yasutake, Maria Bello, Ashley Park, Justin H. Min, Mia Serafino, Remy Holt, Andrew Santino, and Rek Lee.* — Meera Navlakha, Culture Reporter
What we thought: Like the vivid paintings that open each of its episodes, Beef is a large canvas of two people with the not-so pleasant details of their lives excruciatingly enclosing around them — creating a stunning portrait of the cost of empathy and a story that'll linger with you long after its credits finish rolling. — Yasmeen Hamadeh, Entertainment Intern
How to watch: Beef is now streaming on Netflix.
3. Ghosted
Sure! Credit: Apple TV+Cole (Chris Evans) falls for Sadie (Ana De Armas) after one date. She ghosts him. He decides to vault over this boundary and track her down. Spy things occur.
How to watch: Ghosted is now streaming on Apple TV+.
4. Succession
TENSE. Credit: David Russell/HBOThe wait for Succession Season 4 can fuck off. After a diabolical Season 3, the latest and final season of Jesse Armstrong's award-winning series is here, and the Roy siblings Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook), and Roman (Kieran Culkin) are geared up to challenge their newly estranged father Logan (Brian Vox) in the media game. Everything is on the table this season. — S.C.
What we thought: Jesse Armstrong's Emmy-winning drama takes no prisoners in its fourth and final season. It's as unsparing and sharp as its predecessors, yet somehow manages to up the show's audacity to new heights. — B.E.
How to watch: Succession Season 4, episode 1 is streaming now on HBO Max, with new episodes airing weekly on Sundays at 9 p.m.
5. Cocaine Bear
What it says on the can. Credit: Universal PicturesInspired by outrageous true events from 1985 in which a black bear got his paws into quite the sticky situation — that being cocaine — director Elizabeth Banks and writer Jimmy Warden bring us the turbulent and satirical Cocaine Bear.
After a cocaine-filled plane crashes and leaves the drug’s whereabouts unknown, absolute carnage is afoot when a raging bear finds and ingests the products. As the town’s inhabitants, local tourists, and crime-loving teens attempt to retrieve the missing drugs, the bear (high out of his mind) advances into a coke-fueled attack on anyone in sight. Millions of dollars worth of cocaine, annoying tourists with superiority complexes getting shred to bits, and one drugged-out papa bear: What else could film buffs ask for from the cinema gods of 2023?* — Kyle McWilliams, Entertainment Intern
What we thought: There are few films that can deliver as succinctly and accurately on their title as Cocaine Bear does. There is a bear. She does cocaine. Hence, the Cocaine Bear of it all. But while the movie comes through on its gloriously stupid title, it still left me craving something extra. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Cocaine Bear is now streaming on Peacock.
Takin' a stroll. Credit: LucasfilmAs if Pedro Pascal wasn't busy enough on The Last of Us, he's back with another season of The Mandalorian. Season 3 of the Star Wars spinoff will consist of eight episodes, and follow the titular bounty hunter as he travels to Mandalore to seek forgiveness for his "transgressions." He probably won't receive the warmest reception once he gets there, but fortunately the journey there won't be a lonely one.
While the Mandalorian parted ways with Baby Yoda aka Grogu at the end of Season 2, the duo were later reunited during spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett. The small Force-sensitive child is thus along for the ride once more, joining the Mandalorian on his highly dangerous, child-unsafe adventure though space. It isn't the best environment for an infant, but at this point it'd probably do more damage to keep them apart.* — Amanda Yeo, Australia Reporter
What we thought: Mandalorian's motley crew of producers and directors, led by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, squandered the dramatic tension they had spent two seasons building up. — Chris Taylor, Senior Editor
How to watch: The Mandalorian is now streaming on Disney+.
7. Scream VI
Ghostface returns — in New York City. Credit: Paramount PicturesGhostface is rearing that dreaded Munch-inspired mask again, and this time we're not in Woodsboro, it's New York City. The sixth instalment of the meta slasher franchise picks up just a year after the events of Scream (2022), with survivors Sam (Melissa Barrera), Tara (Jenna Ortega), Mindy (Brown), and Chad (Mason Gooding) all trying to move on with their lives. But someone has more sinister plans for the "Core Four", so they'll need the help of the inimitable Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox), along with the return of Scream franchise fave Kirby (Hayden Panettiere). Prepare to be fan serviced. — S.C.
What we thought: In the end, Wes Craven's first film feels woefully far away from where Scream VI lands fans. Character has been sacrificed in favor of frenzied pacing, which murders the whodunit fun this franchise has long promised. — K.P.
How to watch: Scream VI is now streaming on Paramount+.
8. The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die
Last one. Credit: NetflixStephen Butchard's long-running Viking/Anglo-Saxon series, based on Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Stories novels and hinged around the fictional Lord Uhtred of Bebbanburg has come to a close. Well, another close. Following the fifth and final series streaming on Netflix in March last year, this sequel film Seven Kings Must Die brings the whole thing to an actual end.
An adaptation of the final Saxon Stories novel, War Lord, the film follows King Edward's heirs, Aethelstan and Aelfweard, in their battle to claim the throne, and the impending arrival of Danish Warrior‐King Anlaf on the British Isles. — S.C.
How to watch: The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die is now streaming on Netflix.
9. Mrs Davis
Betty Gilpin will make you fall for "Mrs Davis." Credit: PeacockThe biggest fight of the year might also be its most unexpected: a nun versus an all-powerful Artificial Intelligence. That's the basic premise of Mrs Davis, a new series on Peacock. Nun Simone (Betty Gilpin) has devoted her life to destroying the A.I. known as Mrs. Davis, which is used by basically the whole world. However, Mrs Davis knows Simone is coming, and what's more, she seems excited at the prospect, telling Simone through human users that she must find the Holy Grail.* — B.E.
What we thought: At its best and sweetest and most coherent, it's a slightly heavy-handed fable about healing your inner child, and choosing flawed self-determination over having a perfect purpose assigned to you by a higher power. It's more magic trick than miracle, and might not earn your devotion — but it does deserve your applause. — Caitlin Welsh, Australia Editor
How to watch: The first four episodes of Mrs Davis are now streaming on Peacock, with new episodes weekly on Thursdays.
Midge and Susie's last ride. Credit: Prime VideoMidge (Rachel Brosnahan) is back for one last round, in the fifth and final season of Amy Sherman-Palladino’s Emmy-winning The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. In Season 5, Midge's standup career is gaining bigtime steam, in step with everyone's favourite no-nonsense agent Susie (Alex Borstein).
For the last season, Midge’s parents Abe (Tony Shalhoub) and Rose (Marin Hinkle) are back, as is comedian Lenny Bruce (Luke Kirby) and Midge's ex-husband Joel (Michael Zegen). Where and how will we finally say good night to Mrs. Maisel? — S.C.
How to watch: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is now streaming on Prime Video.
* Asterisks indicate the writeup is adapted from another Mashable article.
